1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to seat belts for vehicles, especially motor vehicles, and other means of conveyance, such as, boats and aircraft.
2. Background Art
There is a widespread use of, and requirement of use of, conventional three-point harness or shoulder belts in most vehicles such as automobiles and the like. Such harness or shoulder belts are conventionally attached to vertically-spaced first and second mounting points on the vehicles' framework, such as a reinforced post and the like. The opposed terminal belt ends are attached to these mounting points and a fastener is provided upon the intermediate run of belt such that the belt may be drawn across one's shoulder and chest and affixed on the side of the seat to a third vehicle mounting point. In addition, some mechanism to allow the belt to be gradually played out and frictionally withdrawn to provide a comfortable yet snug belt fit upon the user in a seated position upon the vehicle seat while additionally providing for fixed restraint during an emergency, such as a vehicle accident. The general intention of such belts is to prevent the vehicle's occupants from being thrown forward during a frontal vehicle crash. Such belts have met with remarkable success for such purpose.
There are, however, a number of accident types which, instead of subjecting the driver or passengers to a forward motion, subject them to motion that includes at least rearward force such that the vehicle's occupants, particularly those sitting in the front seats, are thrown rearward and injured as a result thereof. Strongly reinforced vehicle front seat backs in most cases could prevent the rearward motion of the front seat occupants, but such added restructure is costly and involved and may interfere with the operation of the seat backs which afford access to the rear seats to provide desirable tilting movement thereto. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide some means by which passengers and vehicle drivers are prevented from being physically thrown rearward during such accidents.
While there are some devices that provide back support or restraint to vehicle occupants or operators, especially bicycles and motorcycles and the like, none of these devices is especially adapted to or particularly useful with the standard three-point shoulder belt or harness provided in modern vehicles.
The conventional three-point seat belts also have the problem that it is common for occupants of motor vehicles to slide out of such seat belts to the front (forward) in a front end collision or to the top (upward) in a roll over.